Improvement in seed-drills



B. REGAN.

Seed Dropper.

Patented Mar. 24, 1863.

Inventor, %W//% Witnesses 1 2% w' AM. PHDTU-UTHO. no. N. (OSBURNE'S PROCESS) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BARNERD REGAN, ()F MIAMISBURG, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEED-DRILLS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, B. BEGAN, of Miamisburg, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Seed-Drills; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and

exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

My invention has reference to the mode of construction and form of feed apparatus, and also to the form of aperture through which the seed is delivered.

In order to the fuller elucidation of my improvement, and that others duly skilled may be enabled to understand and construct the same, 1 shall proceed to describe it in detail.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a' perspective representation of the hinder portion of a drill-machine, showing the position of the feed and delivery apparatus, the seedbox or hopper above, and a portion of the beams being removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through a feed and delivery apparatus. Fig. 2* is a vertical projection, at right angles to the plane of section above described, of the feed wheel, 850., therein shown. Fig.3 is a vertical projection, on a plane parallel to the plane of section in Fig. 2, of the delivery apparatus, showing the form of delivering-aperture, and beyond and within the feed-wheel ot' a form slightly different from that shown in Figs. 2 and 2*. Fig. 3 is a vertical projection, at right angles to the plane of projection in Fig. 3, of one of the feed-wheels.

Like letters of reference desiguatelike parts in all the drawings.

A is the rearbeamof drill-machine,on which the seed box or hopper (not shown in drawing) is fixed andin frontof which the shaft to passes. To the under side of this beam and to that of hopper the boxes B B B are secured by screws passing through flanges or lugs b b, &c. G is the outer side beam of machine, a portion of which is removed to show more clearly the feed and delivery apparatus below. The sh aft a passes through the sides of boxes B B B and through the eyes of feed-wheels 1) D D, which are keyed thereon. This shaft is connected by means of pinions or pulleys with I the traction-wheels of the implement in any of the well-known methods, which, as they form no part of the present invention, are not delineated in the drawings, nor herein described. As the implement moves on ward the shaft a revolves. The feed-wheelsDDD,being keyed thereon, revolve also, and in revolving feed the seed, which, by its own weight, falls from the hopper into the boxes B through the opening E into delivery-tubes F.

Thus far the description has been general, and would apply to some existing seeddrills equally with mine. As before stated, however, my improvements have reference to the peculiar forms and construction of the feedwheel I) and aperture E, and therefore I shall proceed to speak of these in detail.

The deliveryopening E in box B has only one peculiarity--viz., the lower line or sill, c, is oblique, the obliquity being opposite in direction to that of the helical grooves and ridges in feed-wheel, next to be described.

The feed-wheels of some existing seed-drills are grooved or furrowed in a direction parallel to their axes, the sharp ridges formed by the intersection of thecurves of contiguous grooves .thus presenting a chiseledge to the seed .in which the wheel revolves, and the tendency in such chisel-edge is to cut or break a portion of the seed with which it comes in contact, thus causing a waste and risking the suffieiency of the crops. Moreover, by means of such horizontal ridges and furrows, the seed is delivered in successive portions to the delivery-tubes, instead of in a continuous stream. I propose to obviate both of these imperfections by making the grooves d d (l in a direction oblique to the axis a and forming part of a helix, the ridges cc c following also the same oblique or helical line. By this arrangement alone, in connection with the oblique line 0 of aperture E, it will be seen thatI secure a continuous instead of an intermittent discharge of seed, for, as will be seen on inspecting the drawings, Fig. 3, before the lower edge of ridge 6 has delivered the seed brought up by it over the highest part of oblique sill 0, the upper edge of followlowing ridge 0 has begun to deliver its charge over the lowest point of same oblique sill.

Moreover, the oblique edge of ridges c not seed, for the latter, being subject to force applied in an oblique. direction, slip from under the edges and pass into the forward stream.

When thefeed-wheel is constructed, as is the case in some existing drills,of one piece, great care and accuracy are required to make it fit accurately the box in which it revolves, for if it should not fit exactly, being too small, there is danger of the seed falling or being drawn between the side of wheel and inside of box, to the destruction of the seed and the ultimate derangement of the operation of feed apparatus. If the feed-wheel should be made too tight, obstruction to easy working would be caused. Moreover, the construction in one piece is, especially in oblique wheels, difficult and troublesome. To obviate these objections I propose to construct the feed-wheel Din two or more transverse sections, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Constructed thus, any little inaccuracy in their size relative to inside of box B will be divided or remedied by dirt falling between the several parts; or by means of thin washers the construction of the wheel is, moreover, thus facilitated. Finally, I introduce in the feed-wheel D a device for the purpose of causing the seed sown by my improved drill to be arranged always in one direction--viz., with their longer axes in the line of motion of the implement, and consequently in the line of the furrow or drill. This is a matter of more consequence in drilling oats than in drilling wheat, inasmuch as the ratio between the long and short axes is greater in the former than in the latter. I have two methods of effecting the above object. Either I introduce between each of the two or more sections of feed-wheel a washer, w, as shown in Figs. 2 and 2, or I form notches a a, of a breadth equivalent to such washers, in the helical ridges 06 e, as shown in Figs.3 and 3. By either method I effect the same object viz., the combing of the grain into the line of revolution of feed-wheel. By means of either variation of this device I likewise avoid more completely the danger, previously mentioned, of cutting the grain by the edges of-ridges ea, for, as will be seen on inspecting the drawings, there is thus not a continuous edge, but a series of points coming down on and among the grain in box B. I should here remark that the breadth of washers w or of notches aopening E obliquely in an opposite direction to that of grooves 61 and ridges e second, forming or constructing the feed-wheel D in two or more sections; third, separating the two or more sections of feed-wheel D by a washer, w, or washers, or, what is equivalent to this, form'- ing notches n in the ridges e e, as hereinbefore explained.

By means of these improvements I secure the following among other advantages: first.

a continuous instead of an intermittent discharge of seed, and avoid cutting or breaking the seed by edges of ridges e 6; second, greater facility of construction and accuracy of adj ustment and operation of feed-wheel D in box B, with less labor and fitting; third, I cause the grain to be combed into one direction previous to delivery into the furrow, and thus secure more even drilling and a neater and better crop.

Having thus fully described my improvements and set forth the various evils I thereby remedy and avoid and the advantages I obtain therefrom, I proceed to state what I claim as new and desire by Letters Patent to secure:

- 1. The combination of the oblique grooves 01 d and ridges cc of feed wheel D with the oblique sill c of delivery-openin g E, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2-. Separating the transverse sections of feedwheel D by a washer, w, or washers, or, what is equivalent thereto, forming notches n n in ridges e e of the same, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

BARNERD REGAN.

Witnesses:

A. HOOVER, ISAAC WEIDNER. 

